


The Road Ahead

by Yenneffer



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Middle Earth Setting, Angsty Undertones, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII Gaia Santa, First Meetings, Friendship, Gen, Hallucinations, Idiots in the Wild, Interracial relationships, M/M, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Self-Discovery, Supernatural Elements, Teasing, The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Fusion, Tolkien, Unlucky Heroes, Zack Fair & Cloud Strife Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28288554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yenneffer/pseuds/Yenneffer
Summary: Cloud and Zack, on their separate personal quests, stumble upon each other in the woods. They don’t so much decide to travel together as fall into it, by happenstance. After all, any road is lighter with a companion by your side.Tolkien AU fic for Gaia Santa 2020. Friendship/Pre-slash
Relationships: Zack Fair & Angeal Hewley, Zack Fair & Cloud Strife, Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 9
Kudos: 14
Collections: 2020 FF7 Secret Santa





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ZScalantian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZScalantian/gifts).



> Happy Winter Holidays!  
> I've had a selection of such wonderful prompts that it took me 2 weeks of agonising to pick one - and I still think fondly of all the other ones, thank you, ZScalantian! Your prompts were just too good :)  
> I have another part planned for this verse that still needs a little bit of love and editing, but for now, I hope you enjoy your gift! Stay safe and don't let 2020 bring you down :)

_/Year 2752 of the Third Age/_

He had been but a child, and surely, he had been carried away by imagination, as flighty and ungrounded as everyone had always described him. Seeking comfort after fleeing from the little community’s judgemental stares and not-so-whispered comments, in the years to come Cloud convinced himself that he did not see what he had thought.

Their little settlement carved in the depths under the Grey Mountains was a closely-knit group, all of them dependable, hard-working, traditionally-opinionated dwarves born to parents digging deep into the gouges of the earth, destined to parent just as dependable, hard-working, traditionally-opinionated dwarves. All but the Strifes, that is. Mother and son living at the edges of the community were a blemish on the natural dwarwish ways obeyed by everyone else.

For one thing, the child had no patronymic to his name, nor a fatherly figure to undertake his upbringing.

Later on, Cloud would tell himself he had been upset about the barbed ridicule when he let his legs carry him without direction and purpose, until he ended at the lake’s shore. Shame-faced and grateful to be away from prying, judging eyes, he let his clenched fists pound the still water’s surface, for hitting the ground, like a proper dwarf undoubtedly would, resulted in split knuckles and his mother’s worried frowns. The beryl blue yielded and wrinkles spread over water, distorting his mirrored image till he could no longer see his barefaced humiliation.

The surface stilled sooner than it should, Cloud thought – for he was a curious child who was not content to occupy his time with rocks and deep earth only, and wanted to know all manner of things, about birds and plants and animals little and big, and lands beyond the Mountains and beyond the woods, and about lakes and rivers and the distant sea, and his mother never discouraged his questions, so he spent many hours observing and wondering. He tapped the still surface again, and watched as the circle formed, spread, smoothed.

Later, he would tell himself he had fallen into deep slumber and mistook fanciful dreams for reality, soothed, perhaps, by a tranquil lapping of water on the rocky shore and the birdsong drifting from branches stretching overhead.

Then, everything had been silent, the water still and the wildlife gone or asleep. And where the lake touched the shore stood a lady, robed in green of pond-weeds, taller than all the people he had ever seen, Cloud felt as if he perceived her from a great distance and that she was in fact taller than the trees, as grand as the mountain. Hair so dark it appeared blue spilled down her back to reach the lake, woven with gleaming jewels tiny and numerous as drops of rain, skin pale and perfect as stone smoothed down by running water and time, and eyes chiselled dark gems that whispered of awe and _Other_.

“Who are you?” asked Cloud through numbed lips, knowing to fear yet wanting to know. As it often was with the young, the wants won out.

In one moment she appeared motionless as part of the landscape, in the next a ripple ran through her form, the water at her feet bubbled and frothed, and from the foam rose a young child, a girl with the lady’s old eyes and hair heavy and tangled like dark pond-weeds swimming in the air, dressed in shimmering fish-scales.

“I am the lakes and the rivers and the ponds and the streams.” The girl and the lady spoke together and the same voice came out of them. “I am the currents that traverse all land to end up in the salty seas. The direction your heart yearns for is known to me, for my spirit shares it too.” They looked at Cloud with their onyx eyes that seemed to stare at him and at the lake at the same time, and at the trees, and beyond the Misty Mountains far, far away. “You are a child of the earth and the sea and the wind, yet your wanderer’s soul has been tethered to this steady land alone. Stay and let the axes chip at your spirit till it is at ground’s level; or leave to soar over the Rainer’s waves and find your heart’s home.” The voice sounded like myriad songs, of divergent melodies, merging into one hymn of rain pelting stone and waves crashing into sand and the whisper of a mountain stream.

“Go where? What should I do once I reach this place? Who will I find there?” Cloud knew he wished to leave, his heart soared at the lady’s promises of the journey, tantalising the young, often-overlooked dwarf. To be someone special, have songs of his adventures and daring sung at campfires, his name recognised among strangers and friends alike. Friends, how his heart raced at the thought alone! Yet he wanted to know more, have it more solid like the stones that everyone he’d known worked with.

And a third woman emerged from the lake, ivory skin cracked like aged stone, clothed in water lilies blossoms, same ageless eyes pinned on Cloud and beyond. They all nodded their heads and floated over to him, their forms merging and separating like heavy mist touching the lake. “That is up to you to decide. There is still time, but do not tarry till your soul withers with forgotten dreams.” They reached out their hands to him and upon their touch, the air around him turned to water and he thought he could hear seagulls’ cries in the distance.

Surprised, he inhaled, and his head breached the lake in the shallows where he was laying, splattering and coughing. The water was undisturbed, and he was alone.

_/2 years later/_

“Hey, there!” A friendly voice called out to the party of three sitting around the bright, blazing campfire. Aroma of smoked meat wafted over to the newcomer, and the cloaked figure sniffed appreciatively. “Is there room for one more?”

Two men, worn and rugged-looking, shared a suspicious look. “Drop the hood firth, mister. Weird folk roam ‘round the woods these dayz. Honest men can never be too careful, if you ca’ch me meanin.” The one who spoke had a bloody lip and a knocked-out front tooth, while his companion’s countenance was blooming with fresh bruises.

“But of course! Very bashful of me, hiding my face this way.” The stranger pulled his hood down to reveal a young man with a mane of wild, dark hair and a wide, confident grin. He scrutinised the reclining men whose hands had rested casually on the pommels of the swords laid next to them, both worn and rusted-looking blades of a type that change owners frequently due to sudden and violent deaths – often by the hands of comrades, as is ordinary in case of orc bands and bandits alike. “My name is Zack Fair, I am just passing through here to reach Lake-Town.”

“Dan’ Mook and tis here’s me broder Lear.” Dan, the toothless, pointed at his blue-faced brother.

“You may share our fire,” Lear added. “Honest men must stick together in those dangerous times, eh?”

Zack nodded, moving to sit down, and indicated the third figure by the fire, swaddled in roughly tied binds. “I take it this fellow here has broken the sacred rule of hospitality, then?” He asked with good cheer, shooting a covert look at the captive’s bonds. Far from being expertly tied, they showed enthusiasm in the endeavour though and would be time-consuming to untangle, even if the blond proved to be a master at escapes. Which, judging by the unfriendly, mulish look he bestowed on Zack when he saw him watching him, he was not. No way would an escape artist wait bound like a sack of potatoes till his mood darkened to resemble a storm-cloud over Minas Morgul.

He was young, too. Fresh-faced and short, though apparently of a stocky build, with a shock of unruly gold hair that looked sharp as spikes.

“Ah, dun’t worry bout dis un, good sir,” Dan chuckled, showing his prominent lacks in front dentition. “He’s not goin nowhere, you see. Caught lil’ bugger sneakin’ round in Man parts, ya know? Strange midget, dis un.”

“Midget?” Zack asked, frowning at the two brothers.

“Yep. Claimin t’be dwarves, but lookit dat face! Ne’er seen a beard in ‘is life, or me name’s not Dan’ Mook!” He chortled and patted his brother at his own humour. On Zack he bestowed another of his toothless smiles, and the young man played along, exaggerating his trademark wide grin till he felt as if a grimace took residence on his features, like in one of Angeal’s wild stories of lost ghosts stealing people’s faces and gestures.

And if a steady tic developed under his eye, well it was surely a play of the light from the fire.

Furious at himself and his bad luck, Cloud kept a careful eye on the three men sitting by the fire. They were eating, now, as well as drinking some noxious-smelling spirits; their chewing, talking and belching out a line or two of raunchy tavern songs – only to descend into mumbles when they forgot the words – was surely loud enough to muffle an attempt to unknot the ropes around his wrists. He tried, rubbing his skin raw when the ropes wouldn’t loosen. This night had already been disastrous before yet another man joined his captors – for a brief, hope-laced moment Cloud had been certain he was rescued, surely the newcomer would help a single, unthreatening traveller who’d been down on his luck and captured? And he looked like a warrior, too, with a big broadsword gleaming on his back and a confident air around him – but no, he had sat down with the other men, barely glanced at Cloud, and struck up a joyous conversation as if all was well.

To the men, it appeared it was. He’d been a trusting fool, confident that any people would help and point a way to a lost traveller. But not men, and not to a lone dwarf.

He couldn’t stay here, with his horrendous luck there would be a man joining the group every hour or so, and then any escape would be further hindered by being surrounded so. And so he kept stubbornly working on the bindings, biting his lips to stop himself from making any sounds. Aulë knew how he was going to get at the ropes on his ankles without garnering any attention.

He kept a surreptitious watch on the three men, in case any of them noticed him moving. Once he thought he caught the dark-haired one with a weird scar on his cheek observing him, but when Cloud blinked, the man was laughing and the piercing blue eyes were focused on his drink.

He kept on rubbing, in-between the tense bouts of watchful stillness. The fire was so warm.

Something was constricting his airways, he struggled to take in deep breaths and panicked when he couldn’t. Tried flailing his arms and legs but they would not move, and his head was held down by an unyielding force. He blinked his eyes, once, twice, but in his fear he found nothing to see but a thick fog. There was an object covering his mouth, he wanted to yell to release his spiking fear but the need to breathe won out, he gulped in and still, his throat and nostrils refused to grant him air. Strengthened by a conviction of death, he surged up against the pressure and bit into the thing restraining him. Its texture felt weird in his mouth, reminiscent of leather. The restriction eased somewhat, and he heard heartfelt curses muttered straight into his ear.

He took in a huge lungful of air, and started coughing from the sudden onslaught into his lungs. “Wh-wha...” He gasped out, confused.

“Shh, damn it, kid, calm down, now. Come on, just steady breaths, you can do it,” a figure leaning over Cloud whispered. He blinked, and was met by a wink. “Yes that’s it, easy now. But be quiet, all right?”

Zack smiled down at the dwarf – and there surely was a story about the distinct lack of beard, one he hoped to learn once the other calmed down and allowed himself to be rescued. Was there a market for beard hair and he had shaved to sell it? His curiosity was definitely piqued. “Name’s Zack, a warrior on an errant quest, at your service. And you are?” He leaned up to kneel over the prone dwarf, smiling sheepishly at him. He regretted having to pin him down with his bodyweight, it had obviously exacerbated the panic and disorientation, but when he’d covered his mouth with a hand to hush him as he woke, the dwarf had begun to thrash and risked waking the drunken dullards.

He stared uncomprehendingly at the man, at this Zack, while his mind struggled to realign itself with the new development. “I’m Cloud,” he mumbled. “A resident captive dwarf, at your service. What are you doing?”

“Why, rescuing you! Now come on, those ties aren’t going to unbind themselves. Give me your hands, Cloud.”

Still disoriented, Cloud offered him his wrists. Flinching at the wicked-looking knife Zack pulled out of seemingly nowhere, he kept deathly still when the blade cut the ropes. He peeked at the other humans while the man started on freeing his legs. Loud, ugly snores filled the night air; they both appeared to be sleeping heavily, and he settled further with this reassuring knowledge.

“And you’re free.” Zack stood up to offer his newly-acquired companion a hand. “Can you walk?”

“I believe so... I wasn’t lying down for that long.”

“Good, because I don’t know how far I would be able to carry you.”

“You’re not carrying me!”

“Not anymore, but when you started thrashing I considered just throwing you over my shoulder and booking it into the woods.” He waggled his eyebrows at Cloud and motioned him to follow as he stepped silently past the sleeping humans, giving them last disdainful looks and muttering to himself, “Amateurs, not even setting up a sentry.”

“Couldn’t you have dealt with them if that happened?” Cloud wondered, staring with awe at the sword on Zack’s back. It was broad enough to serve as a shield as well as a weapon, and it shined in the generous light of the moon, obviously well-cared for and smooth.

“Probably, yes, especially with how drunk they’d got... still, as despicable as they seemed, they’re not orcs.”

The taller man slowed down to match Cloud’s slower gait, and the dwarf scowled and picked up his pace. He was not going to be inadequate in front of this Zack person.

“And I was pretty sure I could out-drink them... I have some experience with, ahh, pouring out noxious drinks while no one’s looking.” He winked, conspiratorially, and Cloud felt a warm flush fill his cheeks. Only after a few minutes this easy-going man had managed to make him feel included. He wondered if this was what friendship felt like, and his heart yearned, greedy now that it had a taste.

“Anyway, what was I going on about? Ah right, our great hosts. I could take them, yes, but you were pretty immobile back there, so if one of them got to you it’d have turned foul like that.” Zack snapped his fingers. “And besides, they are my kind... I wanted to leave killing them as a last resort, you know? Even when they behave like monsters, you have to believe that there’s still good inside them...” He trailed off, and looked stricken, so Cloud decided to leave him to his thoughts.

He wished he knew of ways to lighten his new companion’s mood but, shamed by his inexperience, he remained silent, mind stuck on what the heck people spoke of casually to one another.

It was nearing dusk, and they had made a considerable headway; there remained little chance of Cloud’s miscreant captors catching up to them, not unless they found horses, and even orcs wouldn’t lend those two fools their mounts (unless for dinner... Zack had heard stories of wargs eating the orcs riding them if they happened to fall off their backs... or if the warg was in the mood). He surveyed his new companion and by the stubborn look on Cloud’s face, he guessed he would trudge on until he fell down and further still before saying anything.

It had been too long since Zack travelled with anyone, he should relearn how to make space for others in his thoughts and concerns. He found the notion refreshing, and with a jaunty whistle started searching for a place to rest for the night.

They had been walking for part of the night and the whole day afterwards and had long since left the woods for the tall grass plains and hills, he figured they could both use the time to ease their weary minds and bodies. He was no longer alone to allow himself to push forward to quiet his restless thoughts. “Hey Cloud,” he said. “What do you reckon about stopping for the night over there?” He pointed to the small outcropping of rocks that should provide them some cover.

Cloud stopped, considering, and returned decisively, “We can move on. It’s early still, and there should be enough light from the moon to show the way.” He resumed walking.

“Wait, what if I’m tired?” Zack called after him. “Seeing nothing but this grass swaying in the wind is making my head ache, have some mercy!”

They greeted the first stars sitting reclined behind the meagre protection of the small boulders, sharing apples and dried meat from their packs. Not a hearty supper by far, it was still a more enjoyable meal then the previous eve’s.

“... and by that time they’ve realised that no one knew us, much less invited us to the banquet!” Zack finished his story with a flourish, his hands waving wildly and face alight with good humour at his own expense. “I tell you, escaping through the bath house was not our brightest idea, either! I witnessed more than I’m comfortable recalling.” Here, he shuddered dramatically. “And we were dripping with sweat from all the steam which, by the way, does not help when you attempt to hold your sword... I dropped it once, my hands were so slippery! When I backtracked to retrieve it, my friend had already escaped, so naturally...”

“You got lost?” Cloud interjected drily. It was a third story his friend had shared, and by now he was beginning to spot a pattern.

“You guessed it, Spike!” He remained quiet for long moments, basking in fond remembrances. “Mind if I ask you a personal question? I do not mean to be rude, you are free not to answer, no foul.”

“Su-sure,” Cloud stuttered, flushing at having the attention turned on him. _Remember, he’s a friend_ , he chided himself, _it’s all right to tease,_ and tried again, chin lifted loftily. “I promise not to take bloody vengeance on you for any slight you utter.” Solemnly, he offered his hand to the amused man.

“Any slight? For ever?”

“What? No! Only now, it was implied.”

“Well, you should have qualified. I cannot read minds.” Grinning wider than a warg about to eat a juicy meal, the dark-haired man reached a hand to poke Cloud in the head. “So... how do you get your hair to stand up like that?”

“What?”

“Look at you! I always believed mine looked wild, but yours look like murder weapons! All they are missing is a little blood, and you would be a prime material for scaring children.”

“My hair is fine, you are the one looking like a wolf cub raised by Mirkwood spiders!”

The traded barbs on each other’s ancestry and appearance soon, to little surprise, devolved into a tussle with the two combatants joyously egging each other on. Cloud’s elbow caught Zack in the jaw; Zack’s head knocked into Cloud’s shoulder. Both bruised and dirty, they continued rolling on the ground nonetheless, their breathing hard more from unrestrained laughter than any landed hits. All of Arda could have heard them then, and they would not have cared; let the lurking dangers come, let the more seasoned warriors and travellers scoff and mock them for playing while dark creatures and men with poisoned hearts prowled the land. None of this touched them then, for they were young and they no longer faced the road ahead alone.

The next morning found them traversing the rolling hills, tall grass receding as the early sun picked its way across the clear skies until, as its warm beams began sinking into the distant western treetops, they were marching over a rocky terrain intersected by streams. They talked idly of various topics; did Cloud think that cloud over there resembled a deer more than a hedgehog, since by his name’s rights he should be an authority on the matter; that Zack should pay closer attention to the ground than the clouds as he had stumbled twice already; what Cloud imagined the best dessert would be (his mother’s pie with sweet apples), what Zack’s hometown was like (probably not as chaotic now that he had left home; it also had the best tree houses in Arda), what were their weirdest dreams. No one mentioned Cloud’s abnormal appearance. The purpose of their respective travels was also avoided, as if they each sensed the other’s deep-seated reluctance to discuss their motivations.

Time moved swiftly, and so did they.

They slowed down in the half-light preceding dusk, having to be more cautious about their footing. “What do you think of this one over there?” Zack pointed to an oblong and rugged, violet-hued shape in the sky. “I say it’s a cat ready to pounce, look at this bristly fur! An-Ahhh!” Cloud watched as the man in front of him went down, and thanked the stars that the rocky ground had become a grassy hill once again as he hurried over to assist him. Before he could get to him, however, Zack convulsed wildly on the ground and yelled in terror, “Snake!” Wide-eyed, Cloud almost reached his shoulder to drag him away when the man abruptly turned like an eel in water and tossed something long and narrow straight at him. “Get it away from me!” Zack shouted in panic.

Cloud shrieked and shielded his face as the shape connected with his chest and slid down, and he rushed to backtrack in alarm. Overbalancing, he fell with a mighty bang, dazed. He would have scrambled backwards further, on his back like an overturned turtle, but the panicked fog in his mind was pierced by spluttering guffaws, and he leaned up on his elbows to see Zack bowed over his knees, overcome by bouts of amusement. “You should have seen your face, Spike!” He managed to articulate before he became incoherent once again, big tears of hilarity spilling down his ruddy cheeks.

“You... you...” His fear receding, Cloud was rendered speechless, sudden fury narrowing his vision until all he could see was an innocent length of rope lying in the grass before him, and the laughing man who had committed a folly of starting a one-on-one war with a dwarf.

Cloud awoke to Zack crouched over him, shaking him gently. An improvement over the previous night, when the man had jabbed him with a finger in a ticklish spot in the ribs and Cloud came up swinging. If he had been conscious, he never would have landed a hit on the more experienced fighter, yet the uncoordinated attack was enough of a wild melee of limbs that his hand had smacked into Zack’s nose.

“Time to rise, grumpy!” Zack crooned, excessively merry for the time of night. Cloud mumbled and batted sleepily at him, unwilling to concede his slumber was over. “Come on, you are the one who insisted you wanted to take a watch duty. You made me vow I would wake you, do not turn me into an oath-breaker over this.”

“Fine, you axe-nicker, I’m up.” Rolling onto his stomach, Cloud blinked groggily and proceeded with an arduous task of untangling himself from his cloak. “Any disturbances so far?”

“My watch has passed quietly, the only scare I’ve had was when you started snoring. I was certain a mighty beast was sneaking in to ambush us!”

Cloud glowered; he was fast becoming adept at expressions, despite his features having been mostly familiar with putting on air of stoicism and impassiveness. “No wonder you fail at hunting, then.”

“I do not! I was just waiting for a fitting opponent. Eat those words, Spike!”

“Not much else to eat, here.”

Zack mimicked getting an arrow to the chest, his guileless eyes a pool of raw hurt seeping onto his face. “A deadly blow! Quick, Cloud, come here so I can bestow on you my last words!”

Snickering softly, Cloud punched him for the histrionics. “Go to sleep, I will watch over you.”

“You do know how sinister that sounds.”

Cloud’s watch was halfway over when he decided that Zack – a light sleeper, taught by the time spent alone on the road – was slumbering deeply at last, and inched the man’s bag over to himself.

Sitting wearily on the relatively dry patch of grass, Cloud crunched on an apple while watching his peculiar new friend bend his knees and crouch, then rise up to full height only to repeat the whole action again. All done with his pack on. Blast it to Enemy’s balls.

“So, you ready to face the day, Spike?” He asked, shaking his head like a puppy, hair in disarray. As Cloud nodded and seized his own pack, Zack strolled over and offered him a hand, quirking his lips in gently query. “Why so morose, friend? We have a whole new, glorious day ahead of us.” To contradict his words, an ominous cloud blotted out the sky behind his back, as if he had massive black wings spreading out from his shoulders.

They had been walking for two hours already, straining in the uphill trek in sodden, sinking ground. The terrain had been a treacherous villain so far, and it did not appear to be about to relent, either, judging by the look of the path ahead.

Cloud grunted an indistinct reply as he was hauled to his feet, heavy pack in hand. This morning good cheer made him contemplate real enmity against Zack but, he reckoned, he had encountered worse dispositions in people around him. What was an indomitable spirit, a smile and stamina in spite of little sleep and food, and interminable slog through mud, when set against sneers and jeers? _Be grateful_ , he reminded himself, and smiled back.

They trudged on. Zack, not wholly inattentive despite what _certain people_ used to imply, kept throwing imperceptible glances at the dwarf. He was walking with a constant frown on his face, apparently centred on Zack if the unwavering scrutiny was any indication. _Either that, or I have something on my face_ , he thought ruefully, remembering how an entire feast had gone by with people peering at him but no one bothering to tell him he had blood smeared over his cheek. _Someone_ had suffered a near heart attack when he’d returned to their shared quarters inebriated like a dwarf and his face bloody like a madman’s.

Still, if Cloud kept his gaze dead on him he was going to–

“Ahhh!”

–fall down again. Zack winced.

“Hey, you all right?” He reached a hand to hoist Cloud up, helping him brush off dirt and grass. “What do you say to a break, huh? We could use some respite and repast.”

“We?” Cloud asked incredulously. “You look like you are on a leisurely stroll in a garden! There are at least two hours till dusk still. You don’t need to stop on my account, we can keep going.”

“Heh, glad you think so. But I want to take a breather, and see if we can spare anything to munch on meanwhile. So unless you want to leave me here, alone, to get lost without you, I guess you can carry on. Or.” He raised a finger to interrupt the interruption he could see already forming on Cloud’s lips. “And I know this must sound awfully novel to your mulish, strong dwarf types, you can rest here, with me.”

Zack waited a moment for a response, and when none seemed to be forthcoming, he threw his hands up, exasperated. “ _Well_?”

“Well what?”

“Will you bloody _well_ sit down and...” He halted when Cloud started snickering.

“I’m sor– sorry, it’s jus... you, and your face...” Unable to stop himself, the blond bent over, wheezing, and waved his hand in Zack’s general direction as if that explained anything. “Sorry,” he repeated, attempting to regain control. “It’s just... are you a tad on edge? Tired, maybe?” He smirked at Zack.

Mean.

Zack harrumphed, folding his arms. “Whatever. Let’s eat, I’m really hungry now.”

Reclining somewhat comfortably on the ground, Zack scavenged his pack for a quick snack. He should still have something light that would not require any undue preparations... He froze, bemused, when he reached rock bottom.

Literally.

“What... is that...”

Cloud was chortling at him. “I was wondering the whole day when you would notice it.”

“You little... dwarf!” Zack threw the big rock he’d found in his pack on the ground between them, and snickered, too, as it landed with a squelchy plop. “This means war!”

“Big words for a man who hadn’t noticed for hours he was carrying a rock on his back!”

“I knew your kind was fond of rocks, but to bring one with you? Should I leave the two of you alone?”

Cloud blushed. “I wasn’t the one lugging it around, you loon!”

“You still thought to bring it, though! Is it special to you?” Zack crooned, making amorous eyes and sighing too ardently at the sky. “A token of someone’s affections, perhaps?” He teased.

“What? No! You are the one who’s lost this round, stop turning it around!”

“You can’t dish it if you can’t take it, my friend.” Winking saucily, Zack finally relented at seeing Cloud withdraw into himself, embarrassed. “It’s okay if you have. You know that, right? Nothing to be embarrassed about remembering people you care for.” He paused but, unable to refrain from good-natured pestering, added, “Is it a girl?”

“No! Don’t be ridiculous, Zack.”

“What? Why not?”

“Not interested.”

“What? Why not?” He grinned cheekily as Cloud groaned, agonised, and swatted him on the arm.

“You are such a child. Who let you loose on the world?”

“I’m a joy to be around, and that’s a fact! Now don’t change the subject, mister. I’m onto you.”

“You’re onto something, alright,” Cloud mumbled. “I don’t know, I just have different things on my mind, all right? I have a dream to follow. Besides,” he added. “I wasn’t exactly popular back home. Doubt anyone would have been giving me tokens, even had they known that I was leaving. Unless by tokens of affections you meant rocks thrown at my back, then yes, I suppose.” As the dark-haired man opened his mouth to ask, a curious look on his face, Cloud added, “And no, this was not one of those rocks. I was not carrying it around with me all this way!”

“Nice to know... I was beginning to wonder at your good sense.” Zack stretched his arms up, groaning at the pull on his strained back. “Why were you unpopular, if you don’t mind me asking? I’ve not known you for long, but you are a fun company. Can’t imagine what you must have done to stir an entire community against you... don’t tell me you’ve tangled with everyone’s daughters!” He laughed at Cloud’s indignant squawk. “You are _so_ easy to rile up.”

“No, you are simply too wacky to fathom!” Cloud paused, but seeing only gentle teasing on the other’s face, pushed determinedly past old insecurities. “You see what I look like. It’s not exactly common, for a dwarf.”

“Well, you do have weird hair...” Cloud glared at him, annoyed. “All right, I know what you’re implying, but for the record, it really is ridiculous. Your hair’s even more untamed than _mine_ , and I’ve been teased about it my entire life. It feels good to give some of it back.” He smiled, bumping his shoulder against Cloud’s. “I admit I was curious about your... predicament.”

“Yeah... thank you for not asking first when we met. It was refreshing. To not have it be the first thing someone notices.”

“Well... to be fair, the first thing I noticed was the hair.” Zack laughed as Cloud’s scowl deepened. “All right, and the ropes. That was conspicuous. I must say, they were a brave choice of adornments, Spike. I am amazed at you!”

“Yeah, I thought they suited my shady look as well. Glad you approve.”

“So.” Zack’s expression turned more sombre. “I take it you haven’t shaved it off?”

“No.” Cloud shrugged. “Nothing to shave, really. It’s refused to grow out ever since I was little.”

“Eh, you are still kind of little.”

“Shut up, you big foot.”

“You know what they say about big feet.” Cloud stared blankly. “Or maybe you don’t... I’m going to have to educate you one of these days, Cloudy.”

“Please, don’t.” He evaded Zack’s hand reaching to tousle his hair. “Anyway, I was the weird one in a tiny mountain village, a dwarf who had no beard, no father, but who asked too many questions. So, I left. And here I am, now.” Zack bumped his shoulder again, companionably. He jostled back, firmer. They were soon pressing against each other, neither willing to concede the impromptu tussle.

“And I’m glad for it. Honestly, it sounds like a loss to them and a gain for me. Good choice, Spike.”

“Quiet, you.”

“Never.”

The following day broke over the two travellers humid and warm, and the monotony of constantly walking up and down the gently rolling hills threatened to grind their spirits down. Was it the swelter of the air that brought Cloud to cursing under his breath and ignoring all attempts to engage him in conversation? Or was it the unfailing constant of the land stretching before him that had Zack slipping and staggering, and cease his attempts to engage his companion in conversation? They climbed the rises in hopes of spotting the River Running, and descended downhill with grim prospects of trekking uphill once more. Until, finally, when they crested the latest hill their gazes met the glittering blue cutting through the grass and stone of the flatter land that laid spread beneath their higher vantage point. They grinned and in silent agreement picked up their pace until first Zack, and then Cloud, were skipping down the hillside. Zack was merrily waving his arms around and stepping to the side once in a while, in a sort of half-dance, and Cloud felt himself getting swept up in the overflowing joy.

One misstep on Cloud’s part, who was slightly behind Zack, was all it took to transform their impromptu run into a rough tumble downhill, limbs tangled and blond and dark heads banging against one another as they were gaining speed.

They landed, aching but unhurt, and laid sprawled against each other while they attempted to regain their breaths. The unrestrained laughter vibrating in their chests was no help, and once one of them almost regained his faculties, the other soon dragged him right back.

“You may go ahead, I’ll scout the area, maybe set a trap. We will need more food soon anyway.” Zack waved Cloud towards the bushy shore. The clear water appeared piercingly cold, but the current, at least, did not seem overly strong.

“Should we really split up?” He frowned. “We may scout together now and then bathe.”

The man grinned. “I appreciate your lack of confidence in my skills, but I will be fine. Relax, Cloud. Go and enjoy wiping off all that sweat and dirt in private.” He winked, making the dwarf curse him and his forefathers, up to and including Eru the Creator. “I will join you later!” Zack called after the retreating form, chuckling at the flush that had spread from Cloud’s face to his neck.

Cloud had gathered some firewood, and now there was nothing preventing him from braving the river. _Stop dallying, moron. Or was everyone right about you not having it in you to survive? It’s nothing but a little cold water,_ he told himself sternly _._ He shed his clothes, shaking them to get rid of at least part of the dirt gathered on the garments, and power-walked into the stream. It was so bitingly cold that at first, he’d felt his breath stolen by the damned thing, phantom icy fingers sneaking under his skin and clutching at his heart. He pressed on further in-stream, against the current that was surely mild, objectively speaking, however as it pushed more of the freezing swirling mass against his vulnerable body, he was tempted to call it punishing instead. Still onwards he went, teeth stubbornly clenched against the instinctive chatter, and thought unflattering thoughts of any ladies that might appear out of the riverbed, and if they dared imply he was meant for this water, he would flatly refuse. He was not interested in any overtures of adventures and cryptic messages from watery spirits, who would be untrustworthy if for no other reason than for the simple fact that their wits had surely been addled by their glacial abodes. Anyway, he had set out to see more of the world outside their tiny mountainous village, to prove to himself that he could, to mayhap find some answers. Certainly not because he had had a dream of otherworldly creatures rising from foamy depths the same clear beryl blue as the surface he was gazing into now.

These were the thoughts running through the freezing dwarf’s mind as he washed himself, his back unwisely turned on the nearer shore.

Reckoning he was as clean as he was going to be, he hurried back to the shore, his thoughts already on warm things – sunlight and dry clothes at the forefront. Only, as soon as he’d reached the land, he found an obstacle to his simple plans – his clothes were missing. Thinking a gust of wind might have carried them further, he frantically searched the ground and scanned the water, but he couldn’t spot them anywhere. The sun kept his body from uncontrollable shudders, but he was still shivering. And he needed his clothes... how was he going to continue now?

As he haltingly wrestled the mounting panic under control, a strange noise pierced through the fog that had covered his senses. Freezing for an entirely different reason, he slowly turned around to face his snickering – he suspected – traitor of a friend. Zack was leaning against a nearby tree and, when he noticed he’d been discovered, he smirked at Cloud and sent him a jaunty wave. A swell of outrage overwhelmed the dwarf to a point he no longer felt cold, quite the opposite, and even overcast the bashfulness he would normally feel at his exposed state. He no longer cared; all he wanted was to wipe that smug expression off the man’s face. With a war cry, he launched himself across the clearing. Zack yelled out, startled, but managed to dance away from the infuriated Cloud, holding off the uncoordinated attacks with both hands. “Whoa, Spike! You sure you want to be swinging that thing at me?” He laughed, high-spirited but not unkind, which was his only saving grace, in Cloud’s grudging opinion.

“Where. Did. You. Put. Them,” he gritted out.

Zack pouted. “Me? Whatever do you mean, I haven’t done anything.”

Cloud fumed. “I swear on Aulë if you don’t start talking now, I will tear off your clothes, too, so that you know what it’s like!”

“Just curious, Spike, but did you know that anger reveals your depraved side?” He mimed getting a blow to the heart. Cloud was unimpressed. “I shudder to think what you’d be like in an actual battle... hopefully we won’t run into any orcs, you would not make for a handsome couple with any of them!”

“Less yammering and more talking where my clothes are, Zack!” The man pointedly looked at him and then upwards, and when Cloud followed his gaze he swore as he saw his garments hanging on a branch overhead. Too high to reach, even if he abandoned all dignity and started hopping up, totally naked. It appeared to be a tad high even for Zack, which meant the bastard had climbed the tree to stash his garments. If he wasn’t incensed, he would have been amazed at the sheer dedication displayed for the prank – sneaking his things away while his back had been turned, climbing trees – however, as it was, he felt nothing but annoyance at the entire venture. “I hope you drown in that blasted river and end up as fish food!”

Once again surveying the distance to the branch, he reconfirmed that there was no way he could jump high enough. The tree trunk likewise looked unpromising, the lowest branch was well outside of where he could comfortably reach, and the trunk lacked any apparent footholds. “You had your fun, get them down now.”

“But... I’m scared of heights. I can’t climb a tree!” Wide blue eyes stared into Cloud’s own, exuding innocence.

The blond snorted and glowered at his companion. “Are you jesting? Just yesterday you were telling me how you built tree houses back home!”

“That was then; I’m scared of heights _now_.”

“You have obviously climbed that very tree just moments ago. Today!”

“And I was traumatised!” Zack was obviously having fun at his expense, but Cloud had had enough. He was still standing naked out in the open, and famous dwarvish stubbornness or not, this argument was not going to get him clothed any time soon.

“Balrog’s balls! Fine, I will climb it!” He strode over to the trunk to examine it more closely. He had never felt any need to scurry up trees, alone as he was in his wanderings in the village’s surroundings, but he was confident he would manage. He was a dwarf, how hard could it be?

Unfortunately, being a dwarf did not change the fact that he was too short to reach the first branch. He would, sadly, need a boost.

Hearing his companion grunt something unintelligibly, Zack swivelled his head around to peer at him. “Huh? Did you say something?”

“I said that I would need your help to reach the first branch,” Cloud gritted out. He looked pained to admit it.

“Oh, of course. I will give you a hand.” Zack paused. “Or, you know. A leg up.” He ambled over to stand next to Cloud, considered the shorter figure and decided to take pity on his already flustered modesty and, instead of offering him folded hands to hoist him up, he kneeled on all fours on the ground. “Hop up on my back!” Seeing the doubt etched in his friend’s eyes, he added, encouraging, “Come on, crouch on my back and I’ll slowly stand up. I promise, no rapid movements, I’ll go easy on you. It will be fun, trust me.” He smiled disarmingly as the look on Cloud’s face told him unequivocally what he thought of that.

Hesitantly, Cloud put first one, then the second, foot on Zack’s broad shoulders and tapped him to indicate he was as secure as he was going to get. With a stroke of last-minute inspiration, he grabbed a handful of long dark hair and knotted it between his fingers, holding on like he would to a horse’s mane as the man raised himself from his knees with a heavy grunt. Keeping his back parallel to the ground as much as he could manage, hands braced on thighs trembling with effort of holding the position steady, Zack winced as he felt Cloud’s bare toes digging into a knotted muscle between his shoulder blades. _A backrub would be nice after this_ , he thought, and waited patiently for his passenger to climb off securely. _Maybe I should have hid the clothes in Cloud’s pack instead, he would never have guessed to check there._

Cloud had to admit, he was enjoying himself immensely. Searching for a branch that was close enough to reach and could hold his weight, keeping in mind the direction he needed to go, it felt like a treasure hunt. Zack’s murmured encouragement from down below – and he flushed with pride, unable to believe he was above the man’s head – drove home that he was not alone on his adventure, and he again thanked the stars for his lucky capture earlier. Face set in determination, he heaved himself further up. If only the others could see him now, climbing trees like some waif-like elf! They would mock him endlessly, but for once, Cloud did not care nor did he let it stop him. _Let them jeer,_ he thought, _the people who matter do not judge you based on your appearance and oddities_. _Zack certainly doesn’t._

He inched his way slowly over the sturdy bough and finally reached his prize. He tossed the clothes down to the smiling man below. And froze. How was he going to get down? The ground appeared far away, but inching backwards on the branch when he couldn’t see where he was going did not inspire confidence, either.

Zack frowned, noticing his companion’s hesitation. “Hey, are you okay up there, Cloud?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Just thinking.”

“Do you want me to come help you?”

“Weren’t you afraid of heights?” Cloud called down, biting his lip as he assessed the distance. He should be fine, as long as he rolled after landing. He’d never done this before, but what would be the point of journeying beyond the known if one never tried anything new?

Zack, apparently concerned enough to drop his earlier act, started climbing up after the dwarf, dexterous and swift like he was born for it, feet and hands unerringly finding their holds while he barely spared a look to see where he was placing them. Cloud blushed, mortified at having to be rescued from a tree like a lost kitten. No way was he going to let it happen. His hands clenched on the bark and, before he could persuade himself out of it, he swung his body off his perch, felt his fingers digging into the wood as his weight hung from them, closed his eyes – Zack had nearly reached his branch and their eyes met for a second, both clinging to the same tree but not quiet near enough to touch, although the dark-haired man braced himself desperately with both legs and one arm while stretching out his other hand towards him, “Wait, Cloud!” – and he let go.

He plummeted.

His knees gave out beneath him, and he forgot about rolling, but he must have been lucky, for as he laid there groaning on the ground, he did not think anything pained him enough to indicate sticking out bones or twisted limbs. There was a thump, and a pair of heavy dark boots landed inches before his eyes. He peered upwards, to meet Zack’s anxious gaze. The man must have jumped down and landed in a crouch.

Of course he did.

“Cloud, are you all right?” He asked, careful hands touching his face and smoothing down his neck and shoulders, checking him over for injuries, Cloud supposed. It felt nice, having another’s palms running over him. He mumbled a reply. No one but his mother had ever touched him. Zack, having checked his legs, grabbed both of Cloud’s hands in his and squeezed. “Have you lost your mind? Why would you do that? I almost reached you, there was no need...”

“W’nted t’do it m’self,” Cloud murmured, wincing as a bolt of pain shot through his back as he attempted to roll over.

“Idiot! You could have been seriously injured.” His tone was admonishing, but there was relief laced in it, too. _Thank Manwe that nothing has happened_. Zack squeezed his eyes shut, reminding himself to stay in the present. That was then, and this was now. _Why am I always too late to save anyone?_ He made a soft whining noise, and focused on Cloud’s hands, warm and pulsing with life in his hold. Cloud, not understanding his friend’s strange mood and thoughts too muddled after his fall to parse through the heavier air, grasped the hands in his tightly. They stayed like this for a long while, sitting in silence.

“Do you think you could get me my clothes?” Cloud muttered at last, shaking his head to get his bearings as he pushed himself up. Zack’s grip transferred to his shoulders to brace him. “I’m getting cold.”

“Not to mention dirty, again!” Zack’s boisterous disposition appeared to have returned. Still, Cloud’s gaze followed after him when he moved to collect the scattered garments, assessing and considering.

They set out later than usual as Cloud had discovered he was fairly adept at fishing, in direct contrast to Zack who mainly scared the catch away with his splashing. Having a chance at a fresh meal for once, they had indulged themselves and had their fill. Bellies comfortably warm, the pair strolled particularly slowly – leisurely, even – alongside the riverbank, amusing themselves with picking diversely shaped and coloured rocks and making a game of persuading the other of the superiority of their choice. Cloud was unabashedly taking advantage of his mystic dwarvish powers, as Zack called them, to take a healthy lead when Zack changed the rules by throwing both rocks into the water to see which one would cause a bigger splash. They were soon judging each other on their throwing techniques and got embroiled in a heated debate that would have headed into a wrestling territory if Cloud hadn’t settled the matter by managing a toss that had his projectile bounce off the surface three times before it, eventually, sank down as well. Smug at having silenced his friend, Cloud took up a livelier pace as the river led them into a grassland once more. The sun had yet to reach midway on its daily journey, but the light was already turning gray and dim. The travelling duo hastened their stride, hoping to spot a sheltered place in time, but fortune seemed to turn against them.

Dark, heavy clouds rolled over their heads and overcast the sky, at first sparse drops pattered on the river, ones they could barely feel as they landed on their heads. A cold wind gusted over, making them shiver, and a hush descended over the land. Then the skies opened up, and a wall of water fell on them in seemingly one swoop. Zack felt so drenched that he was soon wondering if the river might not be the driest place to wait out the rain, he could barely make out Cloud’s bright hair as he trudged in front of him in the torrential downpour. _That’s useless, we’re never going to find shelter in this visibility_ , he grimaced, and in his inattention would have walked straight into a stream branching off the main riverbed if Cloud hadn’t thrown his arm out to stop him in his tracks. “Let’s follow down this creek, if I remember the map correctly it should lead through some trees! It’s a better cover than nothing we’re going to find straight ahead!” The dwarf shouted into Zack’s face to be heard over the heavy rainfall. Seeing the man nod and start following after him gingerly, deliberately placing each foot, he grabbed Zack’s hand and led him forward, his eyes better suited to pierce the gloom from the childhood spent exploring the bowels of the mountains.

Stumbling through the muddy underbrush, Cloud kept a hold of his taller companion as he pushed onward. They bumped into each other every couple of uneven steps, Zack’s lurching tread overcoming Cloud’s shorter gait. The dwarf glanced back and saw him squinting down. _No way can he go first, we’ll either be lost or drown._ He winced as a solid chest collided with his back once more. Irked, he swatted at the drenched hair hanging in front of his eyes only to have it drip down onto his face moments later. With lips pursed at the mounting frustrations, he squeezed the frigid and soaked hand in his own and quickened his steps, swearing that if they didn’t soon find a place to hide from this literal waterfall he’d bloody build one himself out of the damned rocks.

Zack did his best not to hinder Cloud when he led them through the dreary rainstorm, took shorter steps and tried not to trip onto the dwarf in front. He had to admit that the steady grip Cloud had on him brought him some relief. His eyes seldom failed him, but this grey dimness was playing tricks on his senses to the point that even Cloud’s figure, a mere foot in front of his face, appeared blurred. His own feet were indistinct shapes at the end of his legs and he placed each step on blind faith. If a chasm opened up before him, he would walk straight in without blinking. Shaking his head to get rid of the water dragging the dark tresses down, he tightened his hold as he felt Cloud’s hand slipping from his wet fingers. There was a muttered curse in front of him and he reluctantly eased up. _No need to panic, it’s okay to rely on others_ , Zack reminded himself. _Cloud’s not going to leave you behind in the dark._

Finally, their fortune seemed to turn. The overbearing deluge from above abated somewhat as they stepped beneath the cover of the small copse of trees. Shivering and soaked, they huddled under the overhanging branches, and chafed their numbed hands to warm up. Zack drew the shorter Cloud under his chin and chuckled as he rubbed his back. “I think I have a small lake in my boots.”

Cloud snorted. “Be glad the stench will eliminate all life forms, else you’d have little fish nibbling on your toes.”

“You think my toes are deli-fish-ious?” Zack gasped in mock delight. “Cloud, you sly dog! I never would’ve guessed!” The blond wriggled, struggling to extricate himself from his grasp. Zack felt the hot flush of the other’s embarrassed, trapped face through the layers of his cloak and what felt like pounds of water between them. He tousled the bright strands morosely drooping into Cloud’s face and gazed up into the heavy gray sky. The rain might be slighter like this, but they were going to be in serious trouble if it continued to pour for the rest of the day. And even if it stopped before nightfall, how would they make a fire without dry firewood? He sent a considering glance towards the trees around them. Their branches were spaced far enough to offer meagre protection. If they could limit this distance, however...

Decision made, he let go of Cloud and rose to brazenly start unbuckling his belt. He ignored the questioning blue eyes and approached one of the trees, scowling as he cursed the low visibility. _Oh well,_ he steeled himself. _Beggars can’t be choosers..._ Hesitating briefly, he bent down to unlace his boots, too, figuring that bare feet would offer him more purchase on the wet bark. Before Cloud could do more than blink, he was gone, having hoisted himself up a low-hanging branch and scrambled with his feet against a slippery foothold.

“Have you lost your marbles in this rain?!” Cloud cried out, bewildered. “Get down, fool, you’re going to break your neck!”

Zack peered down, perched three branches up. “Don’t worry, I have an idea.” He panted as he crawled excruciatingly slowly down its length, hugged it between his thighs as he stretched up. Grabbing onto another bough, he swung himself up and hooked a knee over it, heaving the rest of his body up into a more secure position. “I think if I can just lash a branch of this tree with that one’s,” he pointed at the nearby tree, “then we’ll make our shelter a bit drier.” He shimmied down the tapering branch, the foliage rustling around him, while Cloud watched with a grim face, resolute to at least cushion the idiot’s fall with his own body if it came to that. Dwarves were sturdy, he was positive he would survive, somehow. By Eru, he was not going to be burying any bodies on this journey. Cloud flinched as soft oaths reached him from above when Zack’s hand slipped, making him scramble to catch himself before he plummeted to the ground and – although he didn’t know that – into Cloud’s resigned arms. They both let out sighs of relief when Zack’s hold proved to be secure enough. Shaking his head like a wet dog to get the hair out of his eyes, the man carried on with more caution until, finally, he crawled far enough to reach a neighbouring tree’s slender limb with the tips of his fingers. He stretched out as far as he could, holding tightly with his other arm and legs to keep balance, seized it and heaved until it bent sufficiently to be fastened to the one he was perched on with his belt. With rain continuously lashing against his face, he blinked to clear his vision while tightening the belt and the rough bark started to slip through his fingers. He closed his fist more securely around it, wincing as several splinters dug into the meat of his palm. Finally satisfied with his work, Zack retreated back to the trunk where the branches were sturdier and began his descent, sliding down when he could get away with it or using the branches to swing himself down. Even if the overhang didn’t offer much protection, at least he was no longer shivering, he consoled himself as his feet hit the ground. Waiting for him was Cloud’s scowling face, whose ire also appeared to have warmed him considerably if the flashing eyes were any indication. Zack dragged him under the makeshift shelter and grinned fiercely, forestalling any scathing lectures. _Maybe I’m projecting_ him _on to Cloud_ , he admitted to himself, and turned his face away.

“Come on, what do you think of my craftsmanship? Not too shabby, considering the conditions, eh?”

Cloud folded his arms and huffed. “You are a menace, Zack. Couldn’t you have warned me?”

Zack blinked at him, pretended to consider it. “No way, we would’ve discussed it, then came to the same conclusion that we needed a better shelter but weren’t going to be able to find anything in _this_ ,” he waved at the endlessly pouring rain, “and by the time we decided to act, we’d both be too chilled and numb-fingered to make the climb. I saved us some trouble, that’s all.”

Cloud snorted at that. “You are the trouble.” He sighed, clapping the other’s shoulder. His hand made a wet slapping sound. “Ugh. What’s done is done, anyway. But if you crack your head on another stunt like that, I swear I’m building you a massive grave and writing “I told you so” on the mark, so that everyone who passes will laugh at you. You’ll be the laughing stock among all the stiffs!”

Zack waggled his eyebrows. “I guess I could _live_ with that.” He peered up, squinting. “It does not look to be abating. Should we just stay here for the night?”

“If it doesn’t clear before the night falls...” Cloud followed Zack’s gaze and frowned. “I was hoping we’d stumble across a cave or something, but I guess this will do, too.”

“You dwarves and your caves,” Zack teased, and pressed closer to the warmth of another body next to his. A cold tremor ran down his spine. “A house would’ve been nice, with a roaring fireplace and a hot ale.” He repressed a full-body shudder, feeling chilled to his core.

“Thanks,” Cloud replied drily. “I feel even wetter now.”

They sat in silence for a long while, sentry-like, the warm breaths wafting against their cheeks the only sign the other was a live presence and not a mere statue.

“We should’ve crossed the river while we had the chance,” mused Cloud. “It’ll be too swollen to pass tomorrow, and wizards know for how long after.”

Zack blinked, flummoxed. “Huh? Why would you want to cross it?” He wondered. “We can follow it easily until we can take the road through the woods.”

“You want to travel through Mirkwood?” Cloud recoiled in surprise. “They don’t call it the forest of the lost for nothing!”

“Eh, people are always telling tall tales about mysterious places. The way I see it, no place is not worth seeing,” Zack replied, shrugging.

“Mirkwood is worth seeing to the extent that those who do rarely get to see anything else, ever again!” Cloud retorted. “Anyway, as much as it would please me to sate your curiosity, it’s out of our way – Rhûn is in the opposite direction.”

“But that’s... in the East,” Zack said slowly, as if trying out how the words sounded together.

Cloud stared at him as the realisation slowly sank in. “You’re going West,” he stated, feeling numb. _Of course he’s going West, you idiot. It would be too easy, otherwise._

“And you’re... not?” Zack asked, knowing the answer already and looking stricken by it.

“East,” Cloud confirmed.

“But,” the man protested loudly, flailing his arms. “Everyone’s always going West! That’s practically the rule,” he finished more quietly.

“I’m not everyone,” Cloud returned. His nails were biting into his palms, even as roughened from rockwork as they were, he was squeezing his fists so tightly. By Aulë, he wanted this so much! Why couldn’t he just have it, for once? To keep going where his heart told him he would find answers as to who he was, and to keep this unforeseen gift, this wonderful companionship? His heart was heavy with what he knew would have to happen next – he could see from the grim set of Zack’s mouth that he wasn’t travelling out of whim, either, and would not be turned away from the course he had resolved to take lightly.

It was time to part ways. They had happened upon each other by accident, and now their paths would diverge as abruptly as they had been joined. Cloud felt a sharp pang in his chest that was so unlike his leaving home that it shamed him. He had said goodbye to his mother, but he had known where he would find her when his journey ended, and other than her, there was nothing for him to miss there. He had started his adventure not once looking backwards. But there were no such guarantees here; the world was vast, and Zack had an obvious taste for it, with a thirst for a vagabond life flashing in his eyes. There would be no future meetings for the two of them, not unless they stumbled on each other again by accident or a design of fate. Despite having set out on an adventure following a dream or a spectre or whatever the lake lady had been, Cloud was no believer when it came to fate. And to trust that he would find this sudden gem again, this first friend he had ever had, by accident went against his very being, as a dwarf or whatever else he might discover himself to be on this journey.

For the first time, Cloud doubted whether he should go on with his plans.

“Hey, Spike,” Zack shook himself out of his own musings and interrupted Cloud’s vein of thought. He sounded as uneasy as Cloud felt. “Let’s not make any hasty decisions, yet. It’s not like we’ll be setting off soon, and any plans we make in the storm with the shadows weighing on us are bound to be as dreary and hopeless as this weather. Let’s leave the heavy thoughts for the morning.”

“Why?” Cloud retorted. “You going to toss a coin to decide if we should head West or East?” He hunched his shoulders, lost in a dark and defensive mood.

Zack’s nostrils flared. “Is this what you think of me?”

“It sounds like something you would do.”

Zack’s eyes flashed in the dim light. “You’ve known me for aught of a week, Cloud. Take care with the presumptions you make,” he bit out, turning away from Cloud to stare into the rain, his posture stiff and teeth clenched as he reined in his temper.

The silence stretching between them now was unlike the one before, unhappy and ringing with everything they had said. Physically close still to preserve body heat, they both felt a chasm opening up between them – into it, they tossed all their unsaid words, “i’m sorry”, “i don’t want you to go”, “i don’t want to go either”.

It was Zack who broke it first. “It doesn’t matter, you know.” He heaved a sigh as Cloud’s gaze shifted to him, unblinking eerie eyes boring into his own. “That we’ve known each other only a week, that is. It doesn’t mean we’re not friends.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Cloud mumbled into his knees. “I wasn’t very popular back home. You’re the first friend I’ve ever made. Probably why I was turning a bit possessive there.” He winced and smiled apologetically.

Zack arched an eyebrow. “That was you being possessive? A bit insulting, sure, and you might have hit a sore spot, but I’ve seen possessive and, Spike, you were _mild_.” He snorted out a laugh. “If you don’t start standing in front of me every time I try to talk to somebody else, then I think we’re going to be okay with you acting possessive.” He paused, gaze assessing Cloud’s stature before a wild grin split his face. “Of course, it wouldn’t matter so much as I’d still be able to look _over_ you.”

Spluttering with outrage, Cloud continued hitting Zack over the head until he begged for mercy, near tears from laughing.

“A week... We’re both oafs for not mentioning _once_ where we were going,” Cloud said after they both regained their breaths. “I blame you, by the way – your scatter-brained airs are catching.”

“Utter fools!” Zack nodded in agreement. “I reckon I mostly assumed we were going in the same direction... I know it sounded like a jest, but most folks I’ve met on the travels were either going West or returning from there. And you were obviously not returning from anywhere.”

“Obviously not.”

“So why East?” Zack asked after a while, shifting so that he could look at Cloud’s face and not suffer from a cricked neck. Cloud, appearing lost in thought, didn’t look back at him so he needn’t have bothered. He bumped his shoulder to get his attention, and when the dwarf ignored him, a smile playing on his lips, Zack tilted his head and started poking him. “Cloooud, don’t ignore me!”

Stifling a shy laugh, the blond gave in under the assaulting fingers. “All right, all right, just stop, you toddler!” He cried out, attempting to twist away, forgetting the longer range his friend had. The fingers, naturally, followed him mercilessly. Finally, Cloud managed to capture both hands in his, and when the digits wiggled at him teasingly, he pretended to scold them which set the man off laughing once more.

Still holding the hands captive, he peered into Zack’s blue eyes and began talking haltingly, gaining courage from the lack of taunting and a reassuring press of a solid shoulder against his. He recalled the odd rumours that might be mere gossip but could contain a grain of truth, as well, about his lack of a father. He recounted his mother’s reluctance to speak of him, and how Cloud had stopped asking because it so obviously pained her. He mentioned an old, odd dream and how his heart yearned whenever his gaze turned East until he could no more remain than to gouge out his eyes. “I,” he wet his lips, nervous. “I don’t think my father’s a dwarf,” he finally admitted, shoulders hunching as he awaited Zack’s response. “I think... I think he might be a man.”

The hands in his twisted, he stared dumbly down at them as they caught hold of his in return and squeezed reassuringly. Zack whistled lowly. “That’s quite possible,” he admitted, his lips quirked when Cloud glanced at him sideways. “The lack of beard is one thing, but you’re also less stocky than usual, and – as much as it pains me to concede this – taller than most dwarves I’ve met so far.” He hummed thoughtfully. “You might not know this, sheltered as you were in that secluded settlement of close-minded, _ignorant_ , cruel...” He cursed under his breath, softly but heartily. “Anyway, you might be right to be heading East. Traditional way... is slightly less observed in those parts.” Zack smiled ruefully. “I’ve gone there, a while ago, with... anyway, I can easily imagine a human and a dwarf being a couple over there. It’s a wilder world where what you can do to survive is of more importance than what you are,” he explained, seeing Cloud’s puzzled look. “Even if your father is not a man, I reckon one of your grandparents might be. He could be a half-dwarf falling for your lovely mom.”

“Thank you, Zack. What about you? What awaits you in the glorious West?”

The dark-haired man became pensive, his eyes returning to stare into the distance where the rain continued to pound against the nearby brook with no signs of stopping its relentless onslaught. The previously barely-noticeable current had shifted into a rushing torrent, Zack noted absently as he gathered his thoughts. “There is somebody I have to find... two men. I’ve made a promise to an old friend,” he settled on saying in the end, a morose look stealing over his face. Cloud leaned closer to him, hoping to offer wordless reassurance. “I only know their names, and that they are warriors turned sailors. I figured that West was the most obvious direction to go, and I’ve been trying to glean as much as I could about them on the way. It’s been sparse pickings so far, as you can probably imagine,” he added gloomily.

Sensing Zack’s reluctance to speak of this friend of his – as well as feeling strangely territorial about the whole matter – Cloud decided to steer the conversation in the other, and more productive besides, direction. “What have you learned about them?”

“Besides that their names are Genesis and Sephiroth? Well, despite being friends, they apparently hate each other, or that is the impression I got from one badly burnt inn I heard tales of. And at least one of them is a demon... according to gossipy townspeople.” Zack rolled his eyes in exasperated amusement. “Though they tend to disagree which one. People won’t believe a good deed from anyone of a different race if it happens right in front of them, but tell superstitious tales and everyone will be chipping in to add their own evidence to the stories.”

Light had been sparse for hours now, with rainclouds looming overhead, but night seemed to cast a shroud of darkness on the world around them. Cold breeze whistled through the treetops and flowed over and around their huddled forms, stealing hard-won warmth from every crevice it found in the cloaks. Annoyed at his chattering teeth, Cloud burrowed further into the meagre protection of his coat. “You were right earlier, deciding what to do with our hearts heavy and the weather against us wouldn’t serve us well. And yet I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep with dark thoughts weighing on my mind.”

“It’ll be a wet cloak weighing on mine,” Zack said with a wry smile. “But we must sleep. And who knows? Maybe rest will bring a way to resolve our problem.”

Slumber took them slowly as they kept shifting and trying unconsciously to get closer to each other and the additional warmth while the rain continued to patter against the foliage. It couldn’t have been more than an hour since they had drifted off when a noise roused Zack. He blinked, thoughts muddied with sleep, and stared into the surrounding dark woods to locate whatever had caught his attention. Squint as hard as he might, his eyes could not pierce the darkness enough to discover any danger. _But I swear I’ve heard something. Almost like a growl_ , he thought and strained his ears to discern any suspicious sounds. But with the river only a stone’s throw away, Zack could hear little over its constant roar. He shot an annoyed look at the nearby stream and froze at its swollen waters. _Of course! Roaring, you twice-damned fool!_ He instantly stiffened, eyes growing wide in horror as he shook the dwarf awake. “Come on, Cloud, we must leave!” He urged the bleary-eyed Cloud to his feet, throwing panicked glances over his shoulder at the raging river. “Hurry! The river’s flooding!”

It was; its levels were rising, and Zack could feel the rumbling in the ground that heralded the flood barrelling towards them. One hand clutching Cloud’s arm, he started to run, dragging the shorter dwarf behind him when he lagged. In their haste, a rock turned under one of their feet and they stumbled, falling together to the ground. A short oath from Cloud, a sharp intake of breath from Zack. They scrambled to rise.

But they had tarried too long and the river was upon them.

One moment Zack was running, and the next thing he knew a wall of water hit him like an ill-tempered cave troll wielding a stone club. The water rushed over his head and he was swept downstream, crashing into rocks and trees, tearing through shrubs and helpless at the mercy of the unyielding force. Flailing about, he tried to get his bearings and swam for what he thought was the surface and air, but every move was a fight against the strong current and the swirling undertow caused by tree trunks over which the raging river was hurtling. His air was definitely running out and he noted absent-mindedly that the sparks that appeared before his eyes reminded him of the fireflies dancing over the shores of Lake Evendim that he used to chase to Angeal’s amusement.

His temple grazed against a boulder and he regained some of his senses, knowing time was running short before he took a gulp of water. Finding a momentary purchase in another boulder he got knocked into while passing by, he kicked out with both feet and just as his lungs screamed its last wailing protest and his eyes began to dim, the water parted over his head and he breathed in blessed air.

Choking and gasping, he thrashed to not let the heavy cloak and sword drag him back under. His head submerged three times more, and each time it was harder to heave for breath afterwards, but finally, swimming to the side as hard as he could while letting the current carry him onwards, he got close enough to the shore that the water only reached to his knees. Crawling on all fours and grasping onto the bank before him, he pulled himself from the river. Utterly spent, he laid there, drenched and taking in shuddering breaths. He absently noted that the rain had ceased.

He had to go looking for Cloud.

Soon, his weary mind answered.

Cloud came to coughing up water and spitting out mud, his chest constricted as if a granite boulder was placed on it. With effort he rolled over until he was on his belly, face planted in the muck and vomiting what felt like half the river. His ribs groaned with every heave but he didn’t stop until his guts were empty and a heavy acid sat on his tongue. Spitting it out, he moved to extract himself from the mud sucking him in, he’d had enough of sinking for an elf’s lifetime, when he felt a stabbing pain in his side. He landed back in the mud on his knees, clutching the throbbing ribs and gritting his teeth to stop himself from crying out, his breath alarmingly short. Maybe Zack would hear him; maybe something else would. No point in trying his luck when he couldn’t even stand.

He focused on his body’s pains and aches to assess the overall damage and was rather pleased with what he’d found – that is, if you could be pleased by your whole body clamouring for attention with one bruise after another. Blessedly nothing besides the ribs seemed serious or urgent.

His scrutiny completed, Cloud attempted to rise again, this time gradually. His ribs appeared to shift and he bit back a vehement curse at the pain but soldiered on. The cold wind sweeping over his sodden form made him shudder uncontrollably, he could barely move his fingers and even his eyelids felt chilled. He wouldn’t have to worry about broken ribs if the cold took him first; moving took precedence. Inch by painful inch he rose until he was more or less erect, swaying in the gusting wind like a blade of grass. Then, face set with a grim determination, he chose a direction that his muddled mind decided should lead him to their unlucky campsite and began the tiresome trek, the squelching of the mud under his feet the only thing he could hear.

He was hopelessly lost, Cloud soon discovered. To his chagrin, all the trees looked the same to him – he was a dwarf after all, and not an elf, but he was certain he’d passed that boulder over by the tall pine before. Leaning against that blasted overgrown shrub, he closed his eyes in order to hear better and decided he had no choice but to risk it. _Let Aulë damn all the rivers, lakes, and whatever wenches happen to reside in them! Here goes nothing..._

He took in a gulp of air and called out, “Zack!” Nothing but silence and a low hooting of one bird of prey or another. “Zack? Are you there?!”

Quiet but then, blessedly, he heard a faint voice respond. He called back, and the voice sounded nearer now, more material.

“Cloud! Is that you?” It was close enough now that he could distinguish actual words.

“Yeah, I’m here!”

Zack came tearing through the underbrush, unsteady on his feet like a drunkard and smeared in mud from top to bottom. Cloud had never seen anything more beautiful, not mithril, not precious stones, nothing compared to that dumb face stretched in a fierce grin.

“Found you!” Zack cheered and went to hug him. Cloud’s ribs protested the rough embrace but he ignored them and clutched his friend’s back in equal fervour. “And look what I’ve brought!” Zack waved at the packs on his back and Cloud could have kissed him. Without their supplies, they would have been lost.

“How?” He asked.

Zack waved a hand vaguely in reply. It seemed to disorient him and he swayed, catching himself on the tree Cloud had been leaning against. The dwarf took back every ill thought he’d had about it earlier.

The man blinked and shook his head to get rid of the dark spots that had started creeping at the edges of his vision... a while back. He’d lost a sense of time on the way. “What were we...” He muttered. “Ah yes! The packs. I stumbled alongside the river and came by our old camp. Good thing we’ve stashed our packs on the boughs, or else the flood would’ve swept them away as well. I was hoping I’d find you there, but then you weren’t and I... went wandering, I guess. Good fortune, huh?”

Cloud thought of the terrible flood and the danger they were both still in and silently disagreed. His ribs hurt, Zack seemed to have lost whatever strength the desperate search had given him and was sinking alongside the tree... _Wait_! Cloud surged forward as he saw Zack go limp, the man’s eyes rolling back, and the dwarf collided with him just as he began to slump. Biting back a cry as his aching ribs were forced to move, Cloud held on to the tree around the man’s midsection and rode out the waves of pain.

Thus stuck, he came to a conclusion that they were both going to end up back on the ground anyway and let gravity take its toll. Once they’d slid down, Cloud left Zack leaning against the trunk and rummaged through their supplies in search of a piece of cloth. After tearing it with hands numb from cold, he wrapped it around his torso as a makeshift bandage for the ribs.

Pushing off with all his might and shoving down feelings of nausea climbing up his throat, Cloud climbed to his feet with Zack’s arm slung over his shoulders. “Come on, you big lump,” he gasped to the half-conscious man. “Let’s find more solid ground away from the river.” He felt his grip slip and clamped it tighter on the big man’s arm as he moved laboriously forward, Zack’s incoherent mumbles in his ear a distant noise compared to the blood pulsing in his veins. Putting one shaking foot in front of the other, he thought of nothing else but the next slogging step until finally, back aching and chest on fire, he could go no further and they collapsed in a tangled heap of short and long limbs.

With his hands busy nurturing the flame, Cloud kept throwing furtive glances towards his companion; he cursed the wet kindling and pursed his lips in worry. He was still uncomfortably chilled himself and was anticipating the fire’s warmth with fondness, but Zack’s condition had not improved in the least.

“At least it hasn’t got worse,” he muttered, glowering at the dark forest. Some sun would have helped a great deal, but of course they couldn’t be that lucky. He sighed in relief and slumped, exhausted, when the flame finally took to the sodden timbers, and warded it off with his body against the cold breeze. He peered at where Zack was swaddled in their blankets and reached out to take the man’s hands to hold them over the small fire, rubbing the digits vigorously.

“You big baby,” he grumbled to the semi-coherent mound of blankets and soggy dark hair. The entire mass kept moving with Zack’s shivers and chattering teeth. “Hope you’re enjoying being pampered, because it’s not going to happen again.” He paused as he stretched over to their packs, hoping that a hot tea or stew would help tide them both over the rest of the night. “So you better remember it.”

He watched as the soup heated up over the little fire, not wanting it to scald their throats but needing all the warmth it could give them. Once he deemed it ready enough, he took a sip and shuddered as the heat seeped into his very core. Blanketed by the fire and the hot beverage in him, he felt more lively as he turned to support Zack, extricating his face from behind the blanket to spoon feed him the soup. He waited after each scoop to watch if he swallowed reflexively before feeding him another, but finally, the whole mug had been emptied and the convulsive tremors had eased.

“So c-cold,” Zack murmured, moving restlessly beneath the blankets. “Wh’ys so cold, ‘Geal.”

Cloud had moved away to prepare another portion of the soup but he peered back at Zack now, making sure he didn’t disentangle himself from the warm cocoon. Cloud bit his lip hesitantly before replying. “It’s okay. It’ll get warmer soon, you’ll see. Now rest,” he tried to soothe, but the semi-conscious man was lost in half-dream phantoms.

“M’sorry,” Zack groaned and started thrashing. “Lemme try a-again. Please... I’ll do better... ‘Geal, noo, not– don’t, l-leave...”

“Hey, it’s okay... we’ll go look for him together, all right?” Cloud broke in, having no idea what they were talking about but prepared to promise to travel to the Enemy’s gates to invite a Nazgûl out for tea if that’s what it took to keep the man damned still. “Just wait till morning, deal?” He was kneeling next to Zack now, groaning as his ribs moved under the wrappings. But as weakened and wearied as the man was, he was still deceptively strong and Cloud had to use both hands to keep him pinned. “Just rest,” he repeated, practically sitting on Zack’s chest to prevent him from struggling. The stricken look on Zack’s face unsettled him, he had grown used to the man’s lively antics and good-natured humour, but now he seemed stripped bare and Cloud felt an urge to avert his eyes, as if he was witnessing something private, an unguarded moment which his friend had no chance to choose to share with him. _Is this how I’d look if anyone witnessed my shameful thoughts about being an outcast? Or the dreams about returning to the little, insignificant Nibelheim as somebody worthy of awe and recognition?_ He wondered as he swept the dark strands of hair out of Zack’s forehead in an attempt to calm the agitated man.

If anyone later asked Cloud how they had survived that night, he would tell them to mind their own business. What he remembered of it was constant vigilance and keeping a half-aware but determined Zack from going off on his own into the woodlands in search of this Geal person and to amend a past mistake, the particulars of which Cloud had not been made privy to. He would also remember spilling a hot brew on his pants in his rush to stop the fool from braining himself on a protruding branch as he rose hastily to make another escape attempt.

What he would remember was a staggering sense of relief that swept over his whole self as dawn arrived. Light did not burst through the treetops like a radiant beacon but rather peeked shyly at the two huddled forms from behind the retreating shadows, but never before had Cloud seen a more glorious sight.

He had survived and was, relatively, well. Zack had survived and was on the mend. Life was good.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack realises he needs to deal with his past; meanwhile, Cloud is far more concerned with surviving the present.

Life, Zack decided as he shaded his eyes against the glare of the rising sun, was not good.

It had been two weeks since the travelling duo survived the flash flood and they had been steadily making their way East, with little trouble on the way. When Zack had declared that he was going to accompany Cloud and forego his own task, the dwarf had initially protested and claimed that he could manage perfectly fine on his own and Zack shouldn’t have to resign from his own goals for him. But it had been his decision to make, and his alone. He wanted to honour Angeal and his request to find his long-missed friends, but Angeal was dead and Zack had to come to terms with that, at last. Nothing he did would ever change that. So if he got side-tracked and turned in the opposite direction, well, his mentor had known him well and surely expected his attention to get snagged on the way.

He’d never been good enough, anyway.

But here, with Cloud, he could be. He could help him follow his dream and protect him to the best of his abilities. He would not fail Cloud, this he promised to himself.

Which brought him to the foreboding feeling that had crept into his heart yesterday and was steadily rising with each passing hour. At first he had believed that the haunting area – they had left the western parts and were entering Rhûn’s vast plains now – was pressing on his senses, but the malice that was stalking their steps felt targeted, and he doubted the ancient land’s cruel attention would be personal instead of pervasive.

Besides, the presence hunting them seemed familiar, and viciously wild. He’d encountered it only once with Angeal, but he wouldn’t soon forget the animal focus of sick-yellow eyes or the snarling long teeth dripping with saliva that had clamped with ferocious strength on his blade and came close to tearing his throat out. Angeal had disposed of that warg, Zack remembered with pained clarity, while he’d been laying there stunned and weak-limbed as the beast, felled by a large sword sticking out of its chest, landed next to Zack’s head with a thud that shook the very earth.

If it was indeed a warg that was hunting them, picking up their pace would be useless; the creatures were tireless once they caught a scent of prey. They could fight it, Zack reasoned, scrutinising their surroundings, but for that they would need to draw it out from hiding to face it on their own terms. He felt fairly confident he could deal with it by himself, if it came to that. If it was alone. And therein laid the crux of the matter. He didn’t know. If it were a pack hunting them, and this was simply a scout...

They would need to assess Cloud’s prowess with the axe he was carrying during one of their stops, Zack had no idea if he had ever been in a real fight. And he would need to let the dwarf know of his suspicions. _Hopefully he won’t think I’ve been keeping him in the dark on purpose,_ he grimaced at the thought. Only one way to find out.

Zack turned to the stoically marching dwarf and suggested, “What do you say we make a stop? I could use the rest.” He’d learned it was easier to make it about him if he wanted Cloud to agree. The blond got easily defensive when he believed Zack was making concessions for his sake.

“Whatever,” Cloud grunted, which Zack took as an agreement and with a jaunty step led the way over to a small copse of trees that would offer them a relief from the steadily burning sun.

“Say, Cloud...” He wondered out loud. “Do you know where the name came from? It seems pretty random. Were you born in a terrible storm?”

Cloud hummed in thought. “Ma is superstitious, I guess. She said a clouded sky was the first thing she saw after I was born, so she decided to name me after it.”

Zack sent him a teasing grin. “Well, she could’ve chosen worse... “sky”, for example, would not suit your sunny personality so well!” He ducked the punch that Cloud threw at his arm.

“Is it common among dwarves? To name children after the first thing you see after they’re born?” They had reached the shade under the leafy canopy and Zack sighed when he took off his pack and stretched with his arms held high overhead. The tips of his fingers touched the lowest-hanging long leaves and he grabbed onto them, pulling the branch down towards his head. He whooped with mirth as it sprang free with a loud rustle and showered them with falling leaves.

Cloud, unimpressed, shook the greenery out of his hair. “If you get hit by a branch, I’m leaving you here,” he remarked idly. At Zack’s betrayed look, he shrugged unapologetically and added with a wry smile, “Destiny waits for no one.”

Zack glared at him. “You don’t even believe in destiny.”

“I do when it suits me.” Cloud followed suit and shrugged off his pack to relieve his back. The sun was beating hard on them today, and he wished his Ma had been right in her superstitions. They could use some clouds to blot out the blazing sun. “And no, it’s not exactly common. Another thing to set me apart... it’d have been another matter if that first thing she’d spotted had been a rock. Everyone thought that a sky-related name was frivolous.” He frowned. “Not that I blame my mother. But everyone and their aunt had an opinion which they just had to share with us.”

“Well,” Zack said cheerily. “ _I_ like it. Much better than, say, _Limestone_.” He shuddered.

Cloud’s lips twitched. “There was little danger of that. No limestone in the Grey Mountains. But,” he pondered, “I guess I could’ve been Garnet. Or _Snowflake_.” A full smile bloomed on his face as Zack choked on his laughter at the last suggestion.

“You do know I’m going to be calling you that now, don’t you?” The man gasped out through his giggling.

“Not if you don’t want your face to become closely acquainted with my boot!”

“Pfft,” Zack waved him away dismissively. “You wouldn’t reach that far up, short stuff! You might give throwing it a go, though.”

“I’ll throw my axe if you don’t stop calling me short names!” Cloud retorted, slitted eyes boring into Zack’s skull.

A pause. “Why don’t we?” was the man’s sudden rejoinder.

Cloud blinked, bewildered. “Huh? Why don’t we throw my axe?”

“Na-ah.” Zack shook his head, then reconsidered. “Well, we might try it, it could be a fun game to see who could toss it further. But I meant sparring. Why don’t we work up some sweat and have ourselves a nice play-fight?”

Cloud stared at Zack, then pointedly at the glaring sun from which they’d escaped, then back at Zack. “Sure, why not,” he shrugged.

“Splendid!” Zack cheered, climbing to his feet and fetching his sword, twirling the hefty blade in his hands as if it weighted nothing.

It didn’t; Cloud remembered cursing the weapon and whomever its forgemaster happened to be to all hells when he’d been dragging the man after their misadventure in the river. He’d near tossed the mud-splattered thing away in his aggravation, but he had remembered in time the obvious care Zack had always taken of the sword, and desisted. Considering the delirium that had later plagued the warrior, it’d been a sound decision; he probably would’ve gone off searching for it if he’d noticed it missing.

The dwarf rose to his feet as well, and faced off against his opponent. And waited, as Zack had decided to spend the time it took Cloud to join him by squatting up and down, the sword held steady still in his outstretched arm. Cloud glared at the obvious showing off of stamina, and rushed him with the axe raised high for a debilitating blow.

Zack spluttered, laughing, as he hastily danced away and parried the overbalanced strike with a swish of his sword.

For such a big man, he could move scarily fast.

They side-stepped each other’s light swipes, axe and sword meeting with reverberating clangs, but more often than not Zack stopped his momentum before the blade would’ve cut Cloud while the dwarf became steadily frustrated with the man’s longer range.

“Here, grip it like this.” Zack moved Cloud’s hands further apart on the handle. “I’ve never fought with an axe, but I think the general rule applies to them as much as swords. This should give you more control when you swing. And,” he said, humming to himself. “Maybe loosen the grip a bit, too. Not that much, no, or you’ll really be tossing it around.” He corrected Cloud again, ignoring the embarrassed flush spreading on the blond’s cheeks. “Like... this. Your hands should be flexible on the weapon to feel it properly, make it an extension of your arm... or at least that’s how this works with swords. Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out!” He tousled Cloud’s hair and assumed position once more. “Try again?”

They went again, and Cloud could feel more in control of his axe swings, but it didn’t change much in the actual spar; Zack was still leading the fight, even holding back as he evidently was, mostly by stepping to the side neatly when Cloud was rushing him or effortlessly glancing the oncoming axe away with a flick of his sword.

He even twirled around, once, the obnoxious bastard!

“That was much better!” Zack cheered even as he parried again. “Well done, Cloud!”

“You’re not even trying to go on the offensive!” Cloud protested.

“Make me, then!”

With a heartfelt oath, Cloud tried to approach from the side this time, feinting his swing from another direction. It might’ve worked, too, but his opponent was no longer where he expected. Instead, Zack jumped together with Cloud and their weapons met with a cringing shriek of metal. Before Cloud could twitch Zack twisted his wrist, wrenching the weapon out of the dwarf’s hands and sent him sprawling back from the force of the blow. He blinked up as the man offered him a hand to hoist him up, wide lips quirked in an easy smile and head tilted to the side like Cloud hadn’t just embarrassed himself again. His ears felt hot as he accepted and grunted an apology.

Zack’s eyebrows rose to his hairline at the grumbling tone. “Whoa, wait up! I’ve been learning for years, and been in some actual fights, too... I’m guessing you taught yourself, yes? This is not a competition. It’s just supposed to be a fun interlude to interrupt the interminable walking. And Cloud,” he said and pushed companionably at the dwarf’s shoulder. “Everyone has to start somewhere. I wasn’t correcting you to make you feel inadequate.”

Cloud cast his eyes aside, biting his lip. “I mostly watched some of the older dwarves’ training,” he admitted. “Really, how bad was it?” He straightened up and steeled himself, eyes rising to meet Zack’s.

“Pretty good, I’d say, considering you’ve had no one to train you. You keep overextending your swing and then lose balance _and_ momentum, but you have a pretty steady footing too – most first-timers get tangled in their own feet when they focus solely on their hands.”

Cloud nodded. “Right. I’ll work on that. Now, do you want to tell me what this was really about?” He folded his arms, eyebrows raising in a challenge at Zack’s sheepish face.

“Ah, you’ve noticed?”

“It was rather random. And you’ve been acting anxious. I’m not an idiot, you know. Now, what’s going on?”

Zack exhaled loudly, his posture deflating. “I think we’re being followed by a warg.”

“Okay.” Cloud shrugged. “So what now?”

Zack blinked. “That’s it?”

A level gaze. “Yes. What else is there?”

“Aren’t you angry that I’ve kept it to myself? Or curious why I think it’s a warg?”

“Not particularly... You’ve obviously had more experience than me, if you say it’s a warg, then it’s a warg. And you’ve told me now. Now, what can we do about it?”

“Well, it depends...” Zack scratched his head and gazed up into the light filtering through the treetops, pondering. “We could try to lure it out into the open and deal with it, I suppose. If we separate a bit it might decide we’re easy prey and get drawn out.”

“So we use ourselves as bait. Good, let’s do it.” Cloud rose and began preparing to leave. Zack’s outstretched hand stopped him. “Let’s not be hasty.” Seeing the questioning look, the man continued, “The problem is, we have no way of knowing if it’s a lone warg or an advance scout for a pack. We don’t stand a chance if the pack starts a chase, especially not in the open like that. Not just the two of us.”

“We’d be overrun, if the scout signalled the rest of the pack,” Cloud said, understanding dawning on his face. “And it’d be better to not be apart then.”

“Precisely,” Zack replied, face turning grim. “We can subtly pick up the pace, see if we can find a better place to defend ourselves in. We’re too exposed in the open.”

“We shouldn’t tarry any longer, then.” Cloud went back to gathering his things.

Zack saluted lazily. “As you command, my liege!”

“More moving, less commenting, my subject!” Cloud threw Zack’s pack at his head, smirking at the loud outcry.

They set out, ribbing one another as if nothing in the world was amiss. If either glanced back more often than previously, wary of the shadow creeping behind, no one mentioned it.

Never having faced a dark creature before in his life, Cloud focused all his senses on detecting the presence. Zack, when pressed, had described it as a malevolent shroud that awakened all nerves. “Orcs have a different feel to them,” he had said. “They’re an evil scourge on the land, but they lack this animalistic focus that sends shivers down your spine. It’s like your body knows it’s being hunted, and once a warg catches your scent, they never let go, the vicious beasts.” Cloud had yet to identify it, but perhaps due to the tension he could sense radiating off Zack, he could feel his shoulders draw up as the day dredged on. When twilight gave way to night, they set up a camp with a stream nearby, joking about their previous mishap with such arrangements. Instructing Cloud to make sure the fire didn’t get snuffed out during the night (“Spawn of the Enemy hates fire.”), Zack bid him goodnight and left him to his watch duty.

At first he kept jumping at every rustle, the soft murmur of the creek made his spine tingle, and a hoot of a bird of prey had him near shaking Zack awake. Yet as the hours passed with nothing happening and his watch was drawing slowly to its end, his shoulders relaxed and he even distracted himself with drawing vague shapes on the ground with a stick. Here, a sword. There, an owl.

And then it came upon him. It was a feeling of cold regard washing over him, the surety of being observed and unable to move his limbs. He sat there, inert like a rock for all his wishing to shift and shake Zack awake. He needn’t have to; one moment, the man was lying motionless and the next, blinking away sleep. He moved over to rest a heavy hand on Cloud’s arm. The warm pressure snapped him out of the daze and he came to his senses, shuddering.

“Eerie, isn’t it?” Zack whispered in Cloud’s ear while his eyes tried to pierce the darkness stretching beyond the firelight. “The eyes of a hunter on you.”

Zack insisted he take over the remaining of Cloud’s watch, but no matter how sensible the advice to get more rest sounded, Cloud could not make use of it. Falling asleep with the watchful presence preying on his mind proved far too strenuous, and he ended up keeping the man company throughout the night.

“We’re assigning watches for a reason, you know... there is no need for both of us to be awake,” Zack commented idly as they warmed their hands by the fire.

“Then you go to sleep. You’re the one who snatched my watch, anyway,” Cloud retorted, leaning against his friend’s side tiredly. He knew he should take what respite was offered and conserve his strength, but lying awake would avail him nothing.

“Point taken,” Zack chuckled. “I think dawn’s about to break anyway, we can get started on breakfast and set out earlier today.”

That day’s march turned into a slow trudge through the fog that laid heavy over the moors since morning. Cloud kept squinting to peer through the haze, but the only contour he could be sure of seeing was Zack’s broad back five foot before him, and even that shape had indistinct edges as if the fog was making progress in swallowing the man whole. He hurried his steps to close the distance between them to rid himself of the dreadful thought. Their shoulders bumped as he drew even, prompting Zack to stop peering into the smothering fog to glance down at him. His usual carefree smile was nowhere to be seen, lips set in a strained line and a frown lurking in-between his eyebrows. If he was making an effort to appear unaffected by the pervading gloom, he was failing miserably. “Do we need to take a short break?” He asked, not making it clear if he meant whether Cloud needed a break or if they both could use one. He’d been very conscientious in his asking up to that point to make it obvious that it was him needing a breather to, Cloud suspected, spare his pride. He appreciated the thought, even if he saw through the manipulation. But Zack was beginning to slip now, mind occupied with other matters.

Like the menace stalking them, step by step. Cloud’s hands squeezed into tight fists as an ugly howl rolled over the land, putting out all other sounds. All life, birds, crickets, and the two unlucky travellers, held still at the warg’s call.

“No, let’s kept moving,” Cloud answered in a strained voice, resolutely pushing down the anger boiling deep in his guts. He hated the helplessness, he hated the feeling that they were running out of time, slowly but steadily as the warg was signalling its packmates to follow their trail. At his side, Zack was flexing his hands as if he had to stop himself from drawing the sword and turning around to hunt the beast himself. The rage coursing through them was all but impotent; they had scouted the surroundings of their last night’s camp and discovered the animal’s tracks, but they were far away enough to indicate the creature was careful and patient, and would not be drawn out easily. They’d looked for it anyway, in vain.

“What puzzles me,” Zack interrupted the tense silence, “is the reason behind the choice to follow us. If it had been revenge for something, it’d have attacked long ago, not caring if it lived or died...”

Cloud picked his way carefully over the shrubbery, not particularly fond of how it snagged at his cloak. “Hunger?”

“Maybe... But there is easier prey than armed travellers. Amusement and cruel games seem the most likely reasons.”

“But they’re animals... they do that?” Even as he said it, Cloud felt a chill run down his spine, his hands drifting to his axe of their own volition.

Zack’s eyebrows rose as if to indicate the malice permeating the air. “They’re animals in the sense that they eat and breed... but they’re also intelligent, vile dark creatures that live to spawn misery. Taking them for anything less will get you killed before you can say ‘wolf’.” He mock-barked, but the teasing fell flat, as if somebody painted it on his face with vast strokes and the image, picture-perfect from a distance, was breaking apart when you peered closer at the edges.

The mood around them plummeted when a distant cry answered the warg’s howls. Cloud’s hands paused in arranging the kindling for the fire and Zack went stiff where he’d been crouching over the supplies. Their eyes turned to search their surroundings as if expecting the warg’s glowing yellow eyes to appear among them suddenly. Nothing of the like happened, yet their nerves refused to settle that evening. Whatever they happened to be doing, it was interrupted with frequent glances around. Their usual camp chatter dwindled before it had a chance to really sparkle. Zack had made a half-hearted attempt to start a conversation about tooling gems, but Cloud’s single-worded replies ended that, too. In thus hushed company, they both turned to inspecting their weapons for any nicks and took every opportunity to have them on hand.

When the light dimmed, Zack again insisted to take the later watch. “Sorry, Spike... it’s a far-fetched hope, but I just _might_ notice when the pack arrives soon enough to leave us some time to get ready.” He winced. “They sounded far away still, so they’re unlikely to arrive first half of the night. But stay vigilant! And keep the fire going... it can well be our best defence.” With a sympathetic pat on Cloud’s arm, he wrapped himself in a blanket and closed his eyes.

Not an hour later, it proved fruitless, as the air reverberated with repeated calls that had them grit their teeth against the pervading fear. Soon a morose Zack joined Cloud back near the fire, admitting defeat – they likely wouldn’t be able to find sleep with the malevolent voices drumming in their ears. Staying near each other brought them more warmth than the blazing fire, anyway.

“It’s bad,” Zack confessed in a hushed tone, grim-faced. “We’re already outnumbered... we can’t afford to lose strength and focus due to exhaustion, too.” He added another timber to the fire, cheerfully burning and unconcerned with the gloomy mood.

Cloud shrugged, accepting. _It is what it is_. “What do we do when they arrive? We can’t rush out into the night, they’d follow us and attack from the back. And we’d never outrun them anyway.” His eyes bore into the man’s, sharing understanding of what was to come.

Zack answered him anyhow, a pinched look on his face. He didn’t like this at all, but they had little choice. “We fight, and we beat those darned monsters.”

The attack did not come that night.

Their feet dragged during the next day’s march, heads not hanging down in exhaustion only due to the tension thrumming in their veins. The hilltops in the distance promised better defendable positions, they knew, but to reach them they’d need to pass through a vast wood looming beyond the moors, which was still better than being trapped against the sheer drop of the cliff that they could make out to the left.

“All that walking makes me wish for wings,” Zack sighed, only half-joking.

“Makes you want to cheat and land straight on the hills, you mean.”

“Hey, are you calling me lazy? I’d drop some heavy acorns on the wargs’ heads first, at the very least!”

“And that would help how, exactly?” Cloud punched him in the arm, mock scolding. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth; he rolled his shoulders. The tautness could only carry them so far.

“Ah-ah, who said about helping? I live to annoy!”

“Isn’t that the truth.”

A beaming grin answered him. “You’ve got it, Spike!” Stretching out his hand to squeeze Cloud’s shoulder, Zack asked sympathetically, “Break?”

He considered, his legs seemed to be moving without any input from him, but there was a burn making its way up his calves. “No,” he decided. “Let’s cover as much ground as we can. Who knows, maybe we’ll find a fortress with a deep moat.”

“You know that those always have an evil wizard inside!” Zack protested.

“I’ll take the wizard, you take the wargs then.”

They kept the idle conversation going as they walked, but every time a warg’s call rang out, the sound hounding their steps, it dwindled and they spoke only in terse words until one of them had enough and struck it up again. They felt relentlessly herded forward.

“How about we make a camp here?” Zack suggested eventually. The shadows were growing long, but there was still enough light to see the way. Cloud rose an eyebrow in question at him. “We should get a lot of firewood for the night. If we keep the fire at our backs, we won’t be jumped from behind. And a torch could serve us well, too.”

“Good thinking.” Cloud nodded. “Here is good, then.”

They gathered a generous pile of timber, their movements jerky and hasty to the echo of a near constant cacophony of howls, drawing steadily closer.

They decided to attempt to sleep, assigning shorter watches as deep slumber was unattainable but rest sorely needed. Still, they both kept close to the campfire at all times, the one not on duty lying practically curled at their companion’s side as they dozed off.

Growing tired of the man’s constant shifting and muttered complains about the uncomfortable twigs, Cloud reached out to tug at a dark strand of hair. “Sleep. I’ve got this,” he commanded softly.

He did not, but there was no point in telling Zack that. He hefted his axe onto his knees, keeping it in easy reach, and listened to the growls filling the night air.

Zack had been drifting off when his blinking eyes caught a sick-yellow gleam staring at him from the shadows. He touched Cloud’s knee where it rested near his head and whispered, “Don’t look, but there are eyes on us; they’re here.”

“Where?” Cloud whispered back.

“To your left. Don’t look!” Zack made a show of leaning up and stretching, then one of his hands drifted over to stoke the fire, while the other imperceptibly shifted a longer branch towards Cloud. “Be ready to light a torch, we’ll stay side by side and shield whomever’s feeding the fire. We mustn’t let it die, we’re done for if they can get us from behind!” He warned.

“I remember,” Cloud said succinctly. “Don’t die, I don’t want to have to go looking for those two miscreants in your stead! They sound like more trouble than they’re worth.”

“Don’t I know it,” Zack muttered back to him, lips stretched wide and a feral look in his eyes. “Shall we begin, then?”

“Let’s just hope we don’t set fire to the whole area,” Cloud replied wryly, nodding his assent, a similarly wild gleam stealing over his features. There were more pairs of yellow eyes lurking in the dark now. He grabbed a heavy rock, took a swift assessing glance at where the nearest warg must have been lying in wait, pulled his arm back and swung the rock with all the strength he had. It sailed through the air like a nose-diving hawk and landed with a satisfying loud crunch and an even more satisfying yelp from the warg.

“Nice throw,” Zack whistled appreciatively, standing with his sword in a guard position. “Come here, beasties, don’t keep us waiting!” He hollered in a cheerful tone.

They stepped out from the dark, loud growls and snarls replacing the anticipatory quiet of the campsite, large teeth dripping with saliva as they snapped their jaws at the squaring off duo. It wasn’t a particularly numerous pack, only five animals circling the wary travellers and their little fire, but they were all massive beasts, powerful muscle with knotted fur bristling as they crouched down ready to spring and snap the powerful jaws on vulnerable flesh. One beast was shaking its head while blood trickled into its eyes from a head wound.

They were obviously confident as they edged forward, driving their prey backwards. Annoyed at the prolonged waiting, Zack followed Cloud’s example and cast a burning branch into the eyes of the nearest creature. It ducked, saving its eyes, but the projectile still connected and the air was filled with singed fur and an angry yowl.

With the stalemate broken, the wargs leaped at them with furious snarls.

Within moments the camp became a chaotic whirlwind of movement, a swishing sword and an arching axe gleamed in the light cast by the fire, striking time and time again, but the growling mass of angry animals pushed and kept pushing, unrelenting. Until there was no further to go but into the fire burning hot at their backs. Feeling his axe get stuck in a warg’s giant scalp, Cloud grabbed a burning branch instead and stabbed it forward with all his might into a creature vaulting over its predecessor. It landed true, but the warg had been mid-leap and its weight pushed Cloud away from Zack. And away from the viper-swift lunges of the long sword which had been keeping his side guarded. The man swore viciously, but there was nothing he could do while he was warding off two wargs pressing at him from both sides.

Cloud tugged at the axe frantically, the last warg upon him, and finally wrenched it free. The unexpected release sent him sprawling back, and he lost the weapon. Feeling a putrid breath over his face he grabbed onto the nearest object he could, a sharp rock, and punched it upwards with all his might while the snapping jaws descended on him with a power of a bear trap. His shoulder was on fire, but he ignored the agonising pain and struck the rock into the beast’s skull once more, knocking its head away from bearing down on his neck. Dizzied, the warg’s vicelike grip loosened slightly, and Cloud wrenched his shoulder out of it and bludgeoned the creature’s head with a rock again. It growled and, shaking its head, launched itself back at Cloud who avoided its snapping teeth by a hair’s breadth.

Weaponless and with an enraged beast turning back to lunge at him again, he had no choice left but to do what he and Zack had promised they wouldn’t. Staggering from the pain, he reached for the last vestiges of strength and ran; sensing the warg leaping after him, he dove to the side, not looking as it sailed past him and swivelled to rejoin the chase. He kept running; in the distance, back in the camp, there was a frantic call of his name, but Cloud couldn’t stop to wait for Zack now.

He was running for his life.

Zack swung his blade as one of the two wargs jumped at his throat, revealing its vulnerable belly, and felt a grim pleasure as the blade sunk deep into the flesh. Letting the beast’s momentum carry him, he stepped away, ducking an oncoming attack from the second warg, half-twisted to avoid a snap of its teeth and slashed violently at the giant head as the creature was passing him. It yelped and snarled in fury, wounded but not dead. Still, it retreated just enough for Zack to look around frantically for Cloud, only to see the blond dash away, the last warg on his heels. Eyes wide, he called out to Cloud to circle back to camp, but even as the words left his mouth he knew it was fruitless. Pulling back his lips in a snarl of his own, he grabbed a torch from the smouldering fire, hurled it at the warg still in the camp and didn’t stop to look how effective it was in incapacitating the damned spawn of Sauron before tearing after Cloud and his pursuer. He had just enough presence of mind to notice vaguely that he gained a pursuit of his own, in the shape of the remaining warg no doubt, but he knew there was no time to stop and face it, not when one second of delay could decide between Cloud’s life or death. He weaved as he ran, hoping to not be such an easy target for the creature at his back, and desperately pushed forward after another friend he was failing.

_Never again_. He was going to make it in time if it killed him.

The wood’s dark outline loomed steadily closer as Cloud dashed madly towards it, gaze pinned on the treeline in the otherwise anchorless environment. He could barely discern the warg’s panting over the blood pounding in his ears, but knew to stop and look behind to check how far it was would mean instant death, defenceless as he was. He’d swing his bare fists if he had to. He tore into the woods, a growl in his ears, raised an arm to protect his eyes from low-hanging twigs. Twisting, he ducked behind a massive tree just in time for the warg to rush past him. It was too damned close to lose it, Cloud thought as he resumed running, uncaring about the twigs and branches scratching at his skin. _Do something, now!_ Looking around, his mind searched frantically for an idea until his gaze snagged on a protruding shape a tad to his left. He darted for it, teeth gritted in grim conviction. _You have to make it, and you will._

Hot in pursuit, Zack saw Cloud and the following warg crashing into the woods to disappear from sight, and did not waste precious air to swear at his legs to carry him faster. If he had a second to spare, he’d have wailed his despair to the heavens, knowing his chances of locating his fleeing friend in time to help had just diminished greatly. As it was, he strived to move faster and dredged up every last scrap of strength he had. _There is time still. He’s not dead yet, now move!_ With a burst of speed, he crossed the treeline, and in a corner of his mind not occupied with reaching Cloud he noted the injured warg thrashing through the brush on his heels. _Hopefully I won’t make everything worse by leading another of these darned creatures to Cloud_ , Zack thought, eyes seeking for the blond in the dark forest. _There!_ He swerved abruptly, spotting what he thought was a struggling figure amongst the trees. Stomach rising to his throat, he skidded to a sudden halt upon entering a dell.

The ground was eclipsed in full bloom, purple, rose and yellow-hued. Encircling it were sky-stretching hornbeams, wide-trunked and full-leaved, with heavy, gnarly branches guarding the little plot of land. Flowers’ scent wafted, potent, in the air untouched by a breeze. Behind Zack, the warg whimpered, shaking its head, and it slunk past the immobile man, sniffing the air, yellow eyes rolling around with a mad, panicked glint. A large red petal opened near the dazed animal, releasing a puff of scent so strong it was both visible and audible as it drifted in the air. The warg whined, tucking its tail between massive legs, and scuttled away, snuffing the air. If it could still see Zack was uncertain; nose, its faithful guide, had overwhelmed all other senses until it felt incoherent from madness.

A shame for the dark creature, for it could have snapped the man’s head off his shoulders and he wouldn’t have blinked, immobile and mesmerised as he was.

The colours glittered like clearest diamonds in the moonlight (there had been no moon tonight to light their path, he recalled), the tall trees were dancing at the edges of the dell, inviting him over to join in, to move, to spin and to twirl and to twist and to jump and to dance till there was no more breathe in his body till nothing was real but the lights and the colours and the moving trees.

And still, for all that the vision was enthralling and he was, indeed, enthralled, it was not that which had his heart beating in rapid pumps in his chest.

It was a figure laid out in the centre amid the flowers, broad-shouldered, square-jawed, with a frown on that well-known, well-missed face. Wide eyes devouring the features, Zack sobbed out a breath at the dried trickle of blood crossing over the prone figure’s cheek, and rushed to his old friend’s side, unheeding of the petals crashed under his heavy boots. He landed in a crouch beside him, mumbling a stream of apologies, and shook desperately the motionless, wide shoulders, hoping against hope that time had turned its course and he was facing another chance to make the past right.

“Angeal, wake up! Come on, you’re stronger than this, you’re the strongest man I know! You can beat this, it’s just a flesh-wound— like I could beat you in a duel, come on, you’ve always said I had so much more to learn— I want to learn it, but from you!” Zack babbled and whined, frantically, as he tried to rouse his old mentor. His fervent motions grew still, not rapidly, but steadily, like an insidious thought entering consciousness. Angeal was dead. He bent his head over the unmoving chest and clutched desperately at the hands folded over it. It was peaceful. It was death. _Move on, Zack_ , he ordered himself, and couldn’t.

And then, he thought he felt a big hand running through his hair. A voice, so long unheard but remembered well, whispered in his ear. He whimpered, pitiful like a stray dog laying at its dead master’s feet, and clenched his eyes shut against the thoughts clamouring for his attention.

“Za-zack...” What he thought was Angeal muttered. He dared not open his eyes to check. “You’ve returned for me... I kn-knew you would. Everything w-will be all right, no-now.” The voice stuttered. But it was his voice, come alive, again. “We... can stay... together, here. I need... Your help. We’ll heal to-together. You and I. I’m sorry. For putting you through. Th-this. You di-did good. You can r-rest, now,” the familiar timbre soothed. Zack blinked, lids feeling like heavy stones. Moments more and he’d fall into slumber, draped across Angeal’s chest. His face scrunched up in deep regret, and he retorted softly, “No. I can’t.” He was tearing his own heart out of his chest with every word, but they had to be said. “There is no honour in abandoning a comrade in-in need,” Zack stumbled over the last part, tongue unwieldy in his mouth. He pushed on, “and you don’t rea-really need me anymore, ‘Geal. Because you’re—” Taking in a deep breath, he steeled himself and finally admitted it aloud, “Because you’re dead. But Cloud isn’t, not yet.” He pressed a kiss to the motionless man’s forehead, murmured a soft goodbye and a barely-audible, “thank you for everything, Angeal”, and rose to his feet, shooting a wild glance around, not knowing how long he’d spent ensorcelled or where to go from hence. His gait unsteady, he chose a direction at random and hoped he had not doomed Cloud by getting entangled in the past. Some protector he was.

“Forgive me, Cloud.” With that, he left the dancing dell behind, his ears picking out a haunted howl of the warg lost in its haze, his skin prickling in the cold gust of wind that blew through the trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to post it yesterday, but then AO3 was down for the day. Bad sign? xD


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